ALTRONIC®, INC.

712 TRUMBULL AVE.

GIRARD, OHIO 44420

ALTRONIC II IGNITION SYSTEM INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FORM All II 7-85

WARNING: An improperly installed or operating ignition system may lead to improper

engine operation which consequently could pose the threat of personal
injury to operators or other nearby personnel.

DESCRIPTION
Altronic II is a self-contained, capacitor discharge ignition system. It consists
of a permanent-magnet alternator powering a breakerless, electronic firing circuit,
a shielded wiring harness, and an appropriate number of ignition coils (one per
spark plug). A single Altronic II unit handles even or odd firing patterns up to
20 cylinders. In most applications, the Altronic II unit provides adequate starting
output at an engine speed of 35-50 RPM.
For non-hazardous operations there is an unshielded epoxy coil 291 001. For
hazardous area operations, shielded primary cable assemblies are available for
connection to one of two optional shielded coil series - 291 001-S or 591 008.

OPERATION
The operating sequence is as follows: The alternator provides the power to charge
the energy storage capacitor(s). A voltage is induced in a pick-up coil by the
passage of a trigger pin mounted to the alternator's magnet rotor. This voltage
activates the trigger circuitry on the back cover circuit board which produces an
output signal suitable for triggering the system's power SCR's. The trigger signal
is directed to a particular SCR through an associated magnetically operated solid
state switch on the back cover distributor board. The solid state switches are
sequenced by a rotating distributor magnet. When triggered on, the power SCR
discharges the storage capacitor through the primary of an ignition coil which steps
up the voltage to fire the spark plug. Two pick-up coils and separate electronic
trigger circuits are used to extend the system's capability to engines with certain
odd-firing patterns.

1.0 MOUNTING ALTRONIC II UNIT

1.1 Set the engine with No. 1 cylinder in firing position (full advance for normal
operation) .

1.2 The flex coupling (560 002, 560 003 or 560 009) should be attached to the unit
shaft with a spring pin. Attach the engine drive member (560 001 or 560 008)
to the end of the coupling using the two spring pins provided. Flange mount
units may use lug-type coupling 510 454-P in which case the engine drive member
referred to above is not used.
NOTE: For the safety of operating personnel, the engine manufacturer's shield
must be in place covering the flex coupling/engine drive.
1.3 Remove the hex plug from the side of the Altronic II unit.
- turn alternator shaft until distributor magnet becomes visible through
side hole
- adjust shaft slightly until spring pin holding coupling to shaft lines
up vertically, or until 1/4" rod engages hole in alternator drive shaft
through hole near the coupling end of unit
Replace hex plug. In case of doubt, remove the back cover and turn shaft until
the red marks on gears line up. The Altronic II unit is now set to fire No.
1 cylinder.

1.4 Install the unit on engine bracket. Slip engine drive member 560 001 or 560
008 over the existing drive hub (or new hub 510 551); insert and tighten locking
screw and locknut. Flex couplings 560 002 and 560 003 should not be stretched
or compressed; with the gear-flex coupling 560 009 or lug-type coupling 510
454-P, allow .015" clearance for the floating member. Secure the unit to engine
bracket with 3/8"-16 screws maintaining proper alignment.

1.5 At this point, the ignition timing is approximately correct. Exact timing should
be set using a timing light with the engine running at full operating speed
with no load. Depending on the type of unit, timing is set either with the
adjust-arm on top of the unit or by rotating the main body of the unit inside
the front mounting housing (unit with provision for automatic timing adjustment).

2.0 PRIMARY WIRING

2.1 Insert the wiring harness connector into the Al tronic II unit and tighten hand
tight; carefully tighten an additional one-sixth turn with a wrench.

2.2 Altronic II Unit No. fires in this sequence:

2. 3 Connect the harness leads in the junction box in accordance with the engine's
firing order. The leads from the junction box corresponding to the above system
outputs connect to the ignition coil negative (-) terminals see Wiring
Diagrams. The "N" harness lead is the switch or shutdown wire; it must be
grounded to kill the ignition (see section 3.0). The "P" lead must be grounded
to the engine in the junction box and also connected to the common coil ground
lead connecting the positive (+) terminals of the ignition coils. On V-engines,
run a separate common ground lead for each bank. All primary wiring should
be protected from physical damage and vibration.

2.4 Primary wire should be no. 16 gauge stranded, tinned copper wire. The insulation
should have a m1n1mum thickness of .016" and be rated 105° c. or higher.
Irradiated PVC or polyolefin insulations are recommended. Altronic primary
wire no. 503 188 meets these specifications.

2. 5 If two ignition coi 1s per cylinder connected to a common output are used, use
parallel wiring as shown on the Wiring Diagrams.
3.0 "N" HARNESS LEAD - SAFETY SWITCH WIRING

3.1 The "N" harness lead is used as the safety shutdown wire. It must be grounded
to kill the ignition. For purposes of checking system performance with an
oscilloscope, connecting to this lead shows the firing of all cylinders on a
single-circuit unit or one-half of the cylinders on a dual-circuit unit.

3.2 To minimize arcing at the switch(es) connected to the "N" lead, use a 100 ohm,
1 watt resistor in series with the "N" lead.

3.3 Safety switches and associated wiring must be in top condition for proper
operation with the Altronic II system. Partial shorts or leakage in this wiring
can prevent the system from operating properly. It is recommended that safety
switches and associated wiring be checked with a megger before installing the
Altronic II system. There should be no indication of leakage to ground.

3. 4 If the above wiring and/or switches are the problem, the usual result is one
of the following:
- engine will start but stops when safety shutdown devices are switched in
- engine will start but will not carry load

3.5 If ignition output is thought to be weak, the first step should be to disconnect
the safety switch wiring completely. This will show whether the problem is
in this area. If so, the individual switches and wires must be checked out
to find the source of the leak to ground.

4.0 SECONDARY WIRING

4.1 Mount the ignition coils as close as possible to the engine spark plugs
consistent with a secure mounting and avoidance of temperatures in excess of
185° F.

4.2 Secondary wiring should consist of 7mm, silicone insulated, tinned copper
conductor. Keep spark plug leads as short as possible; the use of secondary
leads longer than 18 inches is not recommended. Spark plug leads should be
kept at least 2 inches away from any grounded engine part. In deep spark plug
well applications, use rigid insulated extenders projecting out of the well.

4.3 The use of a clear, silicone grease (such as Dow Corning DC-200) is recommended
for all high-tension connections and boots. This material helps seal out
moisture and prevent corrosion from atmospheric sources.
 5.0 VOLTMETER CHECK

5.1 Operators are urged to make one simple voltmeter check after the Al tronic II
ignition system is installed and the engine is operating at normal speed and
load. Use a DC voltmeter with a 500VDC scale and connect as illustrated below.
Record the voltmeter reading here for future reference:
VOLTMETER READING - - - - - - - -
5.2 Most Altronic II units will give a steady voltmeter reading with a value between
130 and 280 volts depending on engine speed, number of cylinders, etc. Some
units with very odd (non-repetitive) firing patterns will give a pulsating
reading when operating normally.
A. If reading is lower than normal, first disconnect the "N" wire from the engine
shutdown devices to be sure that faulty wiring and/or shutdown switches are
not causing the low reading.
B. If an engine misfire is being caused by the Altronic II unit, the voltage
will pulsate each time the misfire occurs. If the reading pulsates or
otherwise varies from the normal reading recorded above, proceed with the
electrical checks given in the service manual form All SM 2400.
C. If an engine is misfiring but the voltage is steady, look for a bad spark
plug, coil or some other engine problem.

VOLTMETER HOOK-UP
Negative lead to "N" wire
~soo
0 \
Positive lead to Ground or
"P" wire 0

~oov.~ O
+
6. 0 MAINTENANCE

6.1 Due to a minimum of moving parts, maintenance should be minimal. The unit may
be inspected at periodic intervals for condition of wiring, bearings, etc. To
remove the back cover assembly, remove the four attaching screws; then pull
the cover straight backwards from the unit slowly and carefully disengage the
S-prong plug(s) inside.

6.2 Alternator Drive Gear

check condition of gear teeth; no lubrication is required
- the red mark should line up with a trigger disc mounting screw; if not,
replace the drive gear

6.3 Distributor Shaft Assembly

- check the condition of the bearings and driven gear
- check that the magnet is securely fastened to the phenolic spacer and that
the mounting screw is tight; remove any metal filings or dirt from magnet

6.4 Back Cover Assembly

- check condition of w1r1ng and insulation
- check mounting of magnetic switches on distributor board
- check condition of 0-ring in bearing bore

6.S Wiring - inspect all wiring to the output connector. The color code for these
wires is as follows:
A: red K: white/orange
B: blue L: white/black
C: brown M: white/red
D: green N: orange
E: yellow P: black
F: gray *R: white/brown
G: white *S: white/green
H: violet *T: white/yellow
J: black *U: white/blue
*used only on 14-16 cylinder units

6. 6 When reassembling unit, install distributor shaft assembly into unit so that
the red marks on the two gears line up. Be sure the gear end bearing seats
all the way into the alternator housing bore. Position the back cover assembly
next to the unit with the bottom tilted upward so that the S-prong plug(s) can
be plugged into the alternator socket(s). Carefully push the back cover into
place and secure with the four attaching screws.
 nyu ENGINE - SHIELDED INSTALLATION

PICIORIAL DIAGRAM CONDUIT "L"

FLEXIBLE
OR RIGID
CONDUIT

*Class I, Group D, Div. 2 *SHIELDED

rated system. Unshielded PLUG LEAD-
spark plug and lead may 593 020
be used where such 593 030
rating is not required.
*SHIELDED-
SPARK PLUG
3/4"-20 THRD.
SHIELDED
,.N""' TO PANEL PRIMARY TWO COILS PER
LEAD CYLINDER SHOWN
593 022 ABOVE AND BELOW.
593 023
593 027
INTEGRAL
SPARK PLUG-
1"-20 THRD.

INTEGRAL
j
COIL.
591 008

SH- SHIELDED HARNESS

WIRlliG DIAGRAM

IGNITION SWITCH:
OPEN FOR RUN
CLOSE FOR STOP

IGNITION COILS:
291 001-S
591 008

USE HOOK-UP SHOWN

FOR TWO COILS PER
CYLINDER.
 TO SHORT£II IIARIIESS

A. lOOSEII Aim DISBGAGE 1111 (2) Aim RDIIYE COIIIJUIT (1) COII't.ETEU ~
COIIIECTOit Allll HARIIESS ASSEII!U ( 3) •

B. REIIlYE !TEllS (5), (4) AID (2) IR THAT ORDER ~ COIIIJUIT (1). 10TE
THREADS DR ( 5) •

C. CUT COIIIJUIT TO lEliGTll IIITH HACISAII AID DRESS IIITH FILE TO IIISURE
A ClEAII, SQUARE EIID. RDilYE FlliiiGS ~ INSIDE COIIIJUIT.

D. REIISTAll ITDIS (2), (4) AID (5) II THAT ORDER.

E. INSTAll REASSEII!lED COIIIJUIT liTO (3) AID TIGIITEII (2).

5- 2·9·-s 5
GIRARD (YOUNGSTOWN}. OHIO

1----1---1 NAME SHIELDED HARNESS

CONDUIT LENGTH 50902
ADJUSTMENT
PW 211.D-.tel